After a five week absence from home league matches Cray Wanderers are in Sunday afternoon action in a mouthwatering contest against Hastings United at Hayes Lane.  Kick off is 3pm.

Two sides in tremendous form, Cray unbeaten with ten wins in their first eleven games against a strong Hastings outfit, eight wins out of nine league games indicate a high quality encounter on Remembrance Sunday.

Cray top of the table on 31 points made it six wins out of six on the road after a stern examination down at a bright and sunny Haywards Heath Town last Saturday with Ben Mundele’s 88th minute goal, his third in three league games finally breaking down a tough and resolute Heath side.

There was still a lot to admire about the way Cray went about their business and showed a lot of patience and perhaps similar to the win at VCD in September won a tough battle and not many teams will go to Haywards Heath and come away with anything without having to earn it.

Cray will hope to include new month loan signing from Charlton, Wilberforce Ocran just to freshen things up a little up front whilst Tony Russell waits for Michael Power and Aaron Rhule to recover from their injuries.

Cray who won their last home game 7-2 against Faversham Town on 6^th October will certainly not find it quite so straightforward against Chris Agutter’s Hastings United side who lie 2^nd going into the weekend although Hythe could overtake them on Saturday night.  Hastings have 24 points from just nine games played so have a couple of games in hand.

They began the season like Cray with four straight wins in the league and also had an excellent FA Cup run to the 3^rd Qualifying Round.  Away form has seen them win at Ramsgate (3-2), Sevenoaks Town (3-2) and Guernsey (1-0) with the only league defeat at Hythe (1-3) in September.  At home they beat Thamesmead Town (5-1), Phoenix Sports (3-0), Horsham (2-0), Greenwich Borough (4-0) and last Saturday beat Three Bridges (2-1) with recent signing Youssef Bamba scoring twice.  Another close season signing Daniel Ajakaiye has been in great scoring form with 11 league goals and 9 others in cup competitions.

In the FA Cup they beat VCD Athletic (3-2), Kingstonian (2-1) at home, then won at Leiston (4-3) before losing 0-2 at Hitchin Town.  In the FA Trophy they started out in the Extra-Preliminary Round winning at Waltham Abbey (3-1) before losing 2-4 at home to Whyteleafe.  They went goal mad in the Isthmian League cup winning 9-2 at East Grinstead in the 1^st Round. They face Merstham at home in the 2^nd Round.

Last season’s encounters both ended in 1-1 draws.  At Hayes Lane in September, Cray took the lead through Brandon Scott but Curtis Gayler levelled from the penalty spot.  The two sides met again at Pilot Field in November and this time it was Hastings who went in front through Calum Davies with Michael Power volleying home to tie the game.

It is perhaps rather too early in the season to place too much on the end result as so much football to be played and other good sides in the Bostik South-East who feel quite rightly they should be considered contenders like Hythe Town, Phoenix Sports, VCD Athletic and Horsham amongst others. This is the first of two successive Sunday league games for Cray and there is always a good feeling about a Sunday match at the Lane and this ones feels a bit special.